Newman 'humbled by the responsibility'

Campbell Newman’s audacious leadership bid proved to be a case of “who dares wins”, his council ally Graham Quirk declared last night as Liberal National Party luminaries predicted the conservatives would retain a stranglehold on power in Queensland for at least a decade.

Following the humiliation of the Bligh government in yesterday’s election, LNP figures celebrating with supporters at Brisbane’s Hilton Hotel also argued the result did not bode well for the federal Labor government, which is due to face voters next year and could not afford to lose more seats in Queensland to retain power.

They certainly should be there without any trouble for many terms.

One of the many people stunned at the extent of the LNP’s crushing victory was Cr Quirk, who served as Mr Newman’s Brisbane City Council deputy before taking over the lord mayoralty when his boss announced last year he would lead the state LNP from outside Parliament in a bold bid to unseat Premier Anna Bligh.

Queensland decides

“Campbell’s had a great result tonight. It was very much a case of he who dares wins,” Cr Quirk told brisbanetimes.com.au.

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“I don’t think any of us predicted it [the swing] would be as strong as it was.”

Cr Quirk bemoaned the “Americanised style” of the election campaign, pointing to personal attacks launched against Mr Newman and his family which he described as featuring “a lot of character assassination”.

He said the result made it clear that people wanted to hear a vision for the future and for politicians to deliver on their promises.

Cr Quirk, who will face off with Labor mayoral candidate Ray Smith at the April 28 council election, said last night’s win would give the LNP a morale boost but he denied the council result was in the bag.

“Obviously there is enthusiasm within the organisation of the LNP but people make up their minds at the individual levels [of government] on the issues,” he said.

“It will be a different set of arrangements with council and nothing to be taken for granted with it.”

Former deputy premier Sir Llew Edwards, who served as a Liberal MP in the 1970s and early 1980s, said he was pleased the LNP had finally “got their act together”.

He said the party had run an outstanding campaign that successfully capitalised on the public’s concern about the rising cost of living.

“It’s a wonderful result and a great credit to the Liberal National Party with the way they got their act together and I think it’ll be a great government under Campbell Newman,” he said, before reminiscing about recent elections that the conservatives had failed to win.

“It was very hurtful in a sense and disappointing that we weren’t going to win earlier, but this will make up for it.”

Sir Llew said the LNP was likely to remain in office for more than a decade.

“They certainly should be there without any trouble for many terms,” he said.

Joan Sheldon, who served as Coalition deputy premier between 1996 and 1998, did not give a timeframe for how long the LNP may remain in power, but she said it could be for a lengthy period.

“They’ve just won, but they got a very big majority and it will take a long time for that to be worn down,” she said.

“I was amazed at the enormity of the swing. I thought we would win ... I didn’t expect it to be huge.

“I think it just says that people really turned off Labor. They did not think that they were a good government. They did think that Campbell Newman would be a good premier and he would be able to run the state.”

Ms Sheldon said she and Rob Borbidge had unsuccessfully tried to merge the then-separate Liberal and National parties in 1993. It was not until 2008 that Lawrence Springborg oversaw the creation of the combined LNP.

“I think that we could have won government earlier if we had had one strong united party,” Ms Sheldon said.

Ms Sheldon said the federal Coalition could take heart from the Queensland result.

“I think if there was an election on now, they’d get the same result for Canberra that we got here and I do feel we will win that next federal election,” she said.

Federal Nationals leader Warren Truss, a Queenslander, said the size of the swing to the LNP last night was “breathtaking, absolutely breathtaking”, and the Labor brand was tarnished.

He said it was one of the biggest victories in Australian political history and was a “devastating rebuff to Labor”, arguing people were “sick of being lied to by their leaders”.

“Clearly there’s a message here also for Canberra,” he said, pointing to the introduction of the carbon tax which Prime Minister Julia Gillard specifically ruled out before the last election.

But Mr Truss said a federal win by the Coalition was not guaranteed. “No, it’s not in the bag – we still need to work hard.”

LNP federal member for Brisbane Teresa Gambaro said the cost of living and broken trust were key issues behind the state result and she also pointed to the federal carbon tax which was unpopular with voters.

LNP campaign director James McGrath said the party was “humbled” by the result.

He said the “strong, united” party was able to withstand “a ton of mud” Labor threw at it.

15 comments so far

"Decimation of the Bligh government" is an understatement. The original meaning of the Latin word 'decimation' referred to one-tenth of a cohort. The reduction of Labor to probably less than 10 seats is more of a devastation. It certainly must give heart to old Liberals like Sir Lew to see their party in such a commanding position. However, even I was shocked at the extent of the Labor loss. As a youngster I was a keen Labor supporter and with my school friends watched the 1974 election (us all being awakened to politics by Gough) as Bjelke Peterson reduced Perc Tucker's ALP to 10 seats in a smaller Legislative Assembly. I remember saying that the party will rise from the ashes, which it did 15 years later. In 2001, as I approached middle age and now a conservative, I remember the drubbing the conservatives received at the hands of Beattie. It has taken them 11 years to come back. Labor will come back from this. Politics is swings and roundabouts. Meanwhile, Newman should rightly be proud of what he has achieved.

Commenter

Nemesis

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

March 25, 2012, 1:53AM

What this could mean is that Australians like to gamble more than we thought ! How long will it be before we have a quarry in the leafy Northern suburbs ?

Commenter

Rod

Date and time

March 25, 2012, 7:27AM

I've seen plenty of politicians on the winning stage on election night, with their wives, but this is the first time I have seen one holding the bag.

Commenter

J. Fraser

Location

Queensland

Date and time

March 25, 2012, 4:16PM

Now we will find out what skeletons are lurking in the closet as the new government steps in and people feel a little more free to discuss the secrets they have been expected to keep. Will it be police corruption like when Joh left office? Perhaps there is a lot more to the crisis in Queensland Health than we have been told so far. And then there is Education Queensland; that other big department which has so far managed to avoid a major scandal.

A culture of cover up has hung over Queensland for decades. Maybe the newcomers will try to continue it. I hope that whatever the future has in store for us, it will be enough to force the new government into launching an enquiry into the workplace bullying that perpetuates this culture within the Queensland public service.

Unfortunately only time will tell.

Commenter

apineapplefortheteacher

Date and time

March 25, 2012, 4:32AM

For Campbell Newman and the LNP to survive they must be open and transparent, and if the expose what labor has been hiding for years then well and good.I am sure that Campbell will not disappoint the people who voted for him.No more spin lies and deceit.

Commenter

Maarten V

Location

Queensland

Date and time

March 25, 2012, 7:47AM

So glad LNP member for Brisbane Teresa Gambaro mentioned the cost of living, because as Queenslanders wake up this morning they will be wondering when Newman is going to start paying their bills.

Commenter

J. Fraser

Location

Queensland

Date and time

March 25, 2012, 6:49AM

Since when do you speak for Queenslanders Mr Labor?Queenslanders spoke loudly and clearly in condemnation of Labor. They do NOT expect Mr Newman, nor the LNP to pay their bills. They DO expect the corruption and mismanagment to be consigned to a terrible Bligh Labor memory. They do expect accountability which was NEVER evident with Labor.Did you notice the sky did not fall in this morning John Fraser? I woke up to the news of a new Premier, Premier Newman. I guess you will just have to get used to what the Queensland people wanted.

Commenter

Simon

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

March 25, 2012, 7:43AM

I think Queenslanders will wake up every morning regardless of what you say.

Commenter

J. Fraser

Location

Queenslanders

Date and time

March 25, 2012, 4:44PM

My prediction. 18 months before we see mass demonstration against the new government as they will take form the poor to feed the rich. 2 years before we hear about corruption in the government and Can do will leave when the going gets tough in his 2 term. (and no I'm not a labour voter)

Commenter

exitnow

Location

QLD

Date and time

March 25, 2012, 7:34AM

I for one am proud off my fellow citizens who realised that the Labor Government of Anna Bligh had to be removed from office for this once proud state to emerge from the darkness. The Lies and Deceit had to end and let this be a warning to all future State and Federal governments that unless the people are involved in the decisions making process they will not be treated as fools again.Ms Gillard let this be a warning to you and your colleagues Once again a proud Queenslander.

25 Mar
Queensland premier-elect Campbell Newman has sacked his first Bligh-era public servant, with director general of the Department of Premier and Cabinet John Bradley told he is no longer required.